I really appreciated this article because it highlights some of the reasons I'm so thankful to not send my own 13-month-old daughter to daycare. I think it's terrible how little most child-care workers are paid. Yet at the same time, childcare is incredibly expensive for many families. I almost cried when I read about the baby who really just wanted to be held but could not be because of the (understandable) need to maintain a schedule and activities. My own daughter gets held more than I can even tell you, especially when she was younger. For a while, she was basically held 24 hours a day (yes, naps, night, ALL day). This is what she told me she needed, and I was fortunate enough to give it to her.

In response to some of the other posts about what can be done for working parents, flexibility, etc., I can share my own experience. I am an RN on an inpatient hospital unit and work only on weekends. Every weekend. All year. I also pick up some shifts, especially in the evening when my husband is home and on occasion when a grandparent baby-sits, but mostly, I work 2 12-hour night shifts every weekend. The upside, of course, is my husband is home at those times so our daughter is never left with a babysitter or at daycare, only on occasion with a grandparent or other close relative. And because I work weekends, I get extra pay per hour for filling in those holes so other RN's only need to work an occasional weekend. So I make almost as much as if I was working full time. This is one example of a thinking-outside-the-box type of solution that is working for my family and employer, and I believe this flies because the vast majority of RN's are women and in some ways they are more understanding of the needs of being a mother than in other fields. There are many, many downsides, of course, not the least of which is the VERY limited number of days per year in which my husband and I are both off work (he does regular Mon-Fri days). Also, when he is off on a weekday, it's often a holiday, and I have to take my turn working those because I'm a nurse. And nursing is not for the faint of heart. I can see the similarities between the child care workers and RN's....the poop, the vomit, exposure to illness, etc. Most of this doesn't bother me too much, though. The charting, as mentioned in the article, is incredible in both fields. I have to chart many things every single hour, on every patient...way too much to go into detail about. I had NO idea how much nurses charted until I because one. Sometimes I have to stay after work for as long as several hours to complete charting on patients. My record is around four. A twelve hour shift of running my butt off and forget even considering a meal break (eat on unit on the run). Then four plus additional hours to complete all required documentation. And people die, families cry, and so on. But I am getting paid much, much more than most child-care workers. Not a lot, and boy do I earn it. But that's how I balance work and family and still earn decent money (btw, staying home 7 days a week is not an option financially).

Those were my thoughts. Here are my questions....I'd love to baby-sit for one or two kids at my home, since I am home all week, I love kids, and my daughter would like some playmates (we'll probably have one more kid in the next year or two). Would this be something some parents would prefer? It seems like a lot of people now prefer their kids to have lots of structure, activities, grades, reports, etc., now, even as babies. Do some people prefer day care to a baby-sitter (I wouldn't charge much,either, as I already have a regular job and my daughter would be benefiting)? And how would I go about finding 1-2 kids to baby-sit? I thought about putting an ad on our classifieds at work. I thought some people reading this article might have some answers.

Congratulations on finding a work solution that fits your family. As regard to finding sources of children to care for in your home. Two of the best ways I have heard of to find families in need of care are word of mouth. Just tell people you know in your community, like at your place of worship, work, friends, and family. Another option to look into is often in communities there will be a service provided by the government, usually but not always connected to the local DSS who provides resources for family home care programs. They try to maintain a list of providers to supply families who contact them. You also need to check in with your specific state's requirements for licensure. Most states have standards dictating when you have to become licenced as a family home care provider and when you can operate unlicenced. These requirements are good to know before you start. Providing this option to other families is a great way to help your own child's social development.

I am a childcare worker and love it. I have been in the business for ten years and also have 6 children of my own, who all had to be in care, because I had to work. Luckily your situation allows you to work weekends only but not everyone is as fortunate. You shouldn't knock care beacuse some people HAVE to do it, and they shouldn't be made to feel guilty that they can not hold their child 24hrs a day. Plus there are some benefits to child care as learning to share, social skills, and many others. Plus the building of their immunity which is great once they start public school. I think people need to reeducated about childcare. It is not the same anymore.